File this one under darkwave. TRAITRS are a fantastic duo from Toronto who give me a very specific vibe. Imagine New Order in their most obscure eras crossed over if they signed to 4AD to represent dark synth-pop at its finest. Their new single ‘Oh, Ballerina’ uses their synth and guitar as a wall of noise against the fast drums and dramatic vocals. The verse is catchy, the mood is dark and I’m loving every beat in the bar. I also enjoy that it feels rooted in postpunk past without it feeling like a cheap homage either. That should mean fans of the genre of old and new should enjoy TRAITRS.
When talking about the new track ‘Oh, Ballerina’, Shawn Tucker of the duo cited two very different inspirations. The first was Placebo and their punchy but simple way of creating raging rock anthems. The second was Philip Glass. Philip’s minimalism meant that the track started off as a minimalist piano piece with ambient textures before transforming into the searing postpunk.
‘Oh, Ballerina’ is out on 13th August. You can enjoy the music video below. On 19th November, their album ‘Horses In The Abattoir’ will be released on vinyl, CD and digitally. For more information on TRAITRS visit their Bandcamp.
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